Two Rajasthan MLAs, 28 others booked for murder

Two legislators of Rashtriya Loktantric Party (RLP) in Rajasthan and 28 others have been booked by police in connection with the death of a driver of an earth-moving machine last week during an anti-encroachment drive in Rajasthan's Nagaur district.

A case of murder, obstructing public servants while discharging their duty and damaging public vehicles has been registered against Merta City MLA Indra Bawari and Bhopalgarh MLA Pukhraj Garg.

Driver Farooq (40), scummed to injuries after a mob pelted stones and attacked him during the anti-encroachment drive in Tausar village last Sunday. The CID-Crime Branch is investigating the case.

Nagaur SP Vikas Pathak told media that about 20-21 people have been sent to judicial custody.

According to Nagaur collector Dinesh Yadav, Farooq's family had received compensation from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. The RLP leader Hanuman Beniwal and his supporters have been on protest from last two days in Nagaur and have accused the police of lodging a false case against a people's representative.

One of the accused, Merta City MLA Indra Bawari said that the police booked her without reasons, while all she did was to pacify the people disgruntled due to the demolition drive. She accused Nagaur SDM Dipanshu Sangwan of misbehaving with both the legislators.

The Nagaur administration on Sunday had demolished 80 houses of Banjara families who were living there for the last 50 years and were now homeless. "We wanted them to get rehabilitated. But in return, the administration misbehaved with us," Bawri told media on Monday.

Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal was spearheading the protest staged by his party demanding the rehabilitation of those affected.